1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a converter, in particular for refining pig iron and including a tiltable body, a mantle ring spaced from the converter body and supportable in support lugs, with the mantle ring having a rectangular cross-section with upper and lower flanges; the converter further including lamella suspensions and body guides for connecting the mantle ring with the converter body, with the lamella suspension including a lamella pair having one of it opposite ends secured to a first attachment bracket connected to the lower flange of the mantle ring, and having another of its opposite ends secured to the second attachment bracket connected with the converter body, and with the body guide including two guide walls secured to the mantle ring, and a guide element displaceable backlash-free between the two guide walls in a circumferential direction and connected to a third attachment bracket secured to the converter body.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A converter of the above-described type is disclosed in German Patent No. 1,903,685. The known converter proved itself as it permits radial and axial expansion of the converter body with respect to the mantle ring, and the body is reliably supported in the absence of a load.
Usually, the attachment brackets are welded to the mantle ring or the converter body, without a possibility of separation from the mantle ring or the converter body. In the known converter, the lamella suspensions can be damaged and even completely destroyed by spilled-over slag or, with a damaged jacket of the converter body, by spilled-over steel, or by caking falling out of the exhaust gas stack. The repair or restoration can be effected only upon the mechanical separation of the damaged units and replacing them with new ones.
Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a converter of the above-described type the separate parts of which can be replaced by simple means.